Passenger spaceflight comes of age

Subject

Human spaceflight.

Significance

Private spaceflight companies SpaceX, Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic are poised to begin offering spaceflight to paying passengers, achieving a goal that once looked unfeasibly ambitious.

Impacts

• Virgin Galactic will remain a niche player, unlike Blue Origin and SpaceX.
• Fatalities are likely at some point; the earlier they happen, the more they will damage the nascent industry.
• With more lives at stake, addressing the problems of debris, space traffic management and orbital overcrowding will gain urgency.